Large alligator found 'patiently waiting' for Louisiana dollar store to open

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A large reptile whose ancestors lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago was recently photographed waiting for a popular variety store to open in Louisiana.

In a post shared to Facebook, the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office shared a photo of a big alligator that was found waiting for a local Dollar General store to open in the predawn hours.

"This little fella was patiently waiting for the Dollar General to open this morning," the sheriff's department captioned the photo.

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In a post shared to Facebook, the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office shared a photo of a big alligator that was found waiting for a local Dollar General store to open in the predawn hours. (Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office)

Photographed by Deputy Tony Palmisano outside the store's sliding glass doors, the alligator appeared to be nearly 6 feet in length.

Joking about the encounter with the reptile, the sheriff’s office added a note for "inquiring minds" to the comment section that the alligator dashed off with Little Debbie cakes and headed for a local pond.

"For all you inquiring minds, Mr. Gator picked up his Little Debbie snacks, hopped in his truck and went fishing at the Civic Drive Fishing Pier in Port Sulphur," they wrote. "He's just #LivingTheDream."

The location of Plaquemines Parish is shown. (Google Earth)

An array of other social media users also commented on the viral photo, with a nearby sheriff's office referencing the size of the alligator.

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"What are y’all feeding them DTR," the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office commented on the photo. "Not a widdle fella."

"It’s looking for a snack," another user wrote of the alligator, which was relocated.

Plaquemines Parish – located an hour south of New Orleans – is home to an abundance of alligators.

An alligator is seen on April 22, 2023, in Avondale, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

Louisiana's population of wild alligators, which were once considered an endangered species, has increased from fewer than 100,000 to more than 2 million in the past 50 years, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Approximately 1 million alligators also live on farms in Louisiana.

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The first ancestors of alligators evolved an estimated 245 million years ago, according to National Geographic.